Kelvin Thomson (Wills, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Public Accountability and Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is also to the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Trade and Leader of the National Party. I refer the minister to an answer he gave in this place on 1 March this year, when he said:

This government has been totally transparent in offering up all the information to the Cole inquiry ...

Will the Deputy Prime Minister now direct the member for Gwydir, who is a member of the government, to be totally transparent and fully explain the circumstances surrounding the sale of his AWB shares? Will the Deputy Prime Minister give this direction before he ceases to be Deputy Prime Minister and before the National Party disappears altogether?

Mark Vaile (Lyne, National Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not have anything to add to the answer that I gave earlier this year. I think that the issue that is canvassed by the honourable member has been canvassed and responded to in the public arena—and, as far as the last comment he made is concerned, I am staying in this position and the National Party is staying where it is in this coalition government.